Refraction

Of Light
Topics Of Refraction
Terms related to Refraction :-
1) Refraction of Light 5) Image Formation by Lenses

2) Refraction through a rectangular glass slab 6) Image Formation in Lenses Using Ray Diagrams

3) The Refractive Index 7) Sign Convention for Spherical Lenses

4) Refraction by Spherical Lenses 8) Lens Formula and Magnification

2) Refractive Index
 The extent of the change in direction that takes place
in a given pair of media is expressed in terms of the
refractive index.
 It turns out that light propagates with different speeds
in different media.
 The value of the refractive index for a given pair of
media depends upon the speed of light in the two
media.
 Where n21 is the refractive index of medium 2 with
respect to medium 1.
 Similarly refractive index of medium 1 with respect to
medium 1 is given by n12 .

 Absolute refractive index : Refractive index of a

medium with respect to vacuum.

Note: optically denser medium does not mean that the medium possess
greater mass density.

 When a ray of light travelling from a rarer medium to

a denser medium slows down and bends towards the
normal.
3) Refraction by Spherical Mirror
 A transparent material bound by two surfaces, of
which one or both surfaces are spherical, forms a lens.
Centres of curvature :
 A lens has two spherical surfaces. Each of these
surfaces forms a part of a sphere. The centres of these
spheres are called centres of curvature of the lens.
 The centre of curvature of a lens is usually represented
by the letter C. Since there are two centres of
curvature, we may represent them as C1 and C2.
Principal axis:
 An imaginary straight line passing through the two
centres of curvature of a lens is called its principal axis.
Optical centre :
 The central point of a lens is its optical centre.
 It is usually represented by the letter O.
Aperture:
 The effective diameter of the circular outline of a
spherical lens is called its aperture.
Focus:
 When rays parallel to principal axis gets refracted by
convex lens , they converge to a point on principal axis,
this point is called Principal focus.
 If you pass parallel rays from opposite side of lens you
get another principal focus on the opposite side.
 A lens has two principal focus, usually named F1 and
F2.
 When rays parallel to principal axis gets refracted by
concave lens , they appear to diverge from a point on
the principal axis , this point is called Principal focus.
 Concave lens also have two focii, usually named F1 and
F2.
4) Image formation by lenses
There are three rules which are to be followed:
 A ray of light from the object, parallel to the principal
axis, after refraction from a convex lens, passes
through the principal focus on the other side of the lens,
as shown in. In case of a concave lens, the ray appears
to diverge from the principal focus located on the same
side of the lens.
 A ray of light passing through a principal focus, after
refraction from a convex lens, will emerge parallel to
the principal axis. A ray of light appearing to meet at
the principal focus of a concave lens, after refraction,
will emerge parallel to the principal axis.
4) (i) Image formation by lenses
Using Ray Diagrams